Moistening device



V. VIOLA MOISTENING DEVICE 4 Sheets-S'neet Hlm-HM Dec. 3, 1968 Filed Feb. 15, 1967 Dec. 3, 1968 v. vlOLA MOISTENING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet Q Filed Feb, l5, 1967 win-II Dec. 3, 1968 v. VIOLA MOISTENING DEVTCE 4 Sheets-Shea 5 Filed Feb. 15, 1967 Dec. 3, 1968 v. VIOLA 3,413,954

MOISTENING DEVICE Filed Feb. l5, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent O 3,413,954 MOISTENING DEVICE Vito Viola, Oakland, Calif., assignor to Friden, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 616,226 6 Claims. (Cl. 118-46) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In the form of the invention shown, a wick is immersed in a tank of liquid with one end surface of the wick exposed, providing a moistening surface to which surface liquid normally ows by capillary attraction. The tank, or reservoir, is removably supported within a base on which a postage metering machine is detachably secured. With each cycle of operation of the postage meter, a length of gummed tape is printed with a postage indicia and thereafter severed, forming a strip of a given length. As the printed strip is withdrawn from the machine it is selectively passed over the moisture-laden exposed end of the wick, suicient liquid being caused to flow to the moistening surface by compression of the wick upon each cyclic operation of the postage meter, thereby supplementing the capillary flow.

This invention relates to devices for moistening gummed tape, and more particularly to moisteners for tape of the type dispensed by a postage metering machine.

The postage metering machine illustrated is removably secured on the base which carriers the tape control mechanism. Upon each cyclic operation of the postage meter, the print-head causes a postage impression to be made on the tape while drawing the tape from a supply roll. Immediately following the printing of the postage indicia thereon, the tape may be passed selectively over a moistening element and severed to form a strip for afxation on a piece of mail matter. Various types of moistening devices have been employed for this purpose and each has presented problems in one form or another. In one such device, a liquid is supplied by gravity flow or under pressure to a slotted blade forming either a concave or convex meniscus, over which a gummed surface is passed. In this type of moistener the flow of the liquid is difcult to control for proper moistening of the gummed surface, be it taped or the flap of an envelope.

In another type of moistening device, a wick of felt or a spongy material is utilized with all but one exposed end portion being submerged in a tank or reservoir of liquid. For this type of moistener, capillary action is relied upon to carry the liquid to the exposed end surface of the vwick as the gummed surface is passed thereover. When successive operations of the postage metering machine is desired for a plurality of printed tape strips, a suicient supply of moisture on the exposed end surface of the wick poses a problem, such `supply of moisture being dependent on the porosity of the wick and the recovery of liquid by capillary attraction to the moistening surface. When there is an insuciency of moisture on the moistening surface of the wick, the adhesive of the gummed surkface of the tape collects on the wick and accumulates quickly to render the wick ineffective.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and ecient moistening device.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved moistening device for a gummed surface in which liquid under pressure is metered to the moistening surface.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

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FIG. 1 is a frontal elevational view of the postage metering machine with the cover of the tape control mechanism removed;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the tape feed mechanism;

-FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the tape feed mechanism with a portion of the supporting frame broken away7 the view being taken on the planes indicated by lines 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an oblique view of the tape feed mechanism and the controls therefor;

FIG. 5 is an isometric bisectional view of the liquid reservoir showing the wick and pump;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the liquid reservoir with a portion broken away to indicate the pump and wick;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of the liquid reservoir with a portion broken away to show the pump and wick, the view being taken on the plane indicated by the line 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a corrugated or ribbed inner wall of the liquid reservoir, the view being taken on the plane indicated by line 8--8 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8A is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 8 but showing the wick as having a corrugated or ribbed surface.

While this invention may be used with moistening devices for various applications, it is preferably shown as an improvement for the moistening device illustrated in the copending application of Vito Viola, Ser. No. 556,705, filed lune 10, 1966.

In the embodiment shown, the postage meter 10 (FIG. 1) is of the type described in the copending application of John F. Reus et al., Ser. No. 486,437, filed Sept. 10, 1965, now Patent No. 3,363,549 and is removably secured upon the base portion 12. The postage meter 10 includes the rotary print-head 14 (FIG. 3) which carries the postage indicia printing die 15. A cyclic rotation of print-head 14 is initiated in a well-known manner with each depression of control key 16 (FIG. 1) to effect a printing of the postage indicia and town circle on the tape T.

The tape control unit 20 (FIGS. 2 and 3) comprises a pair of similar frame members 21 and 22 maintained in spaced parallel relationship by means of suitable spacers and secured by means of suitable bolts on similar bosses 23 integrally formed on the wall 24 of the base portion 12. The platen 28, preferably of rubber, is secured on shaft .29, supported at its respective ends for free rolling movement in the upper end portion of side members 30 and 31 of the tape guide bracket 32. The tape guide bracket 32 is suitably supported between frame members 21 and 22 and is positioned to guide the tape T in its path of travel between the supply roll and platen roller 28.

With the postage meter 10 secured in its operative position upon the base portion 12, the platen roller 28 is axially parallel to the rotary print-head shaft 33 (FIG. 3). Normally, with the print-head 14 in its full-cycle position, there is no contact between the print-head and the platen roller 28. However, upon initiation of a postage metering operation and during the last half Iof the counter-clockwise cyclic rotation of print-head 14 (FIG. 3), the printing die 15, that is, the arcuate portion having a greater radius, contacts the tape T to print the postmark impression thereon while moving the tape from the supply roll.

In the normal full-cycle position of the print-head 14, as seen in FIG. 3, the end of tape T is positioned within the cutter opening 38 of shear plate 39 and against the top surface of the cutter knife 40. Upon initiation of a postage metering operation and a cycle of rotation of the rotary print-head 14, the cutter knife, or blade, 40 is retracted to enable the tape T to pass through the opening 38 in the shear plate 39. For this purpose, an arm 41 (FIG. 3) is secured on shaft 42 with the rounded free end portion of the arm engaging in a slot in the knife blade 40 and extending into a suitably elongated slot 43 in shear plate 39. At its outer end, shaft 42 is journalled in frame member 22 and intermediate its ends in frame member 21 and in the wall 24 of the base portion 12. At its other end, shaft 42 supports lever arm 48 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) secured thereon and carrying pin 49 engaged in an elongated slot 50 in bellcrank lever 51 suitably supported for oscillatory motion in the base portion 12. The angularly upwardly formed free end of the lever 51 extends through the aperture 52 in the top plate 53 of the base portion 12 and is provided with the open-end slot 54 for sliding engagement or disengagement with the pin 55 on the lower end of the depending arm of bellcrank lever 56, suitably pivotally supported at its one end in the postage meter 10. Lever 51 is normally urged to the inactive position shown in FIG. 3 by means of the compression spring 57.

In the normally inactive position of the lever 51 (FIG. 3), knife blade 40 is in the closed position shown. Also, at this time, the relatively strong spring 60 (FIGS. 3 and 4) resiliently maintains the roller 61 carried by lever 56 in engagement with the accelerated motion cam 62 which is secured on the postage meter print-held shaft 33. Thus, it can be seen that upon initiation of a machine cycle of operation and during the initial 180 rotation of the printhead 14 and cam 62, lever 51 is rocked clockwise, as fully described in the aforementioned copending application Ser. No. 486,437, to retract knife blade 40, thereby enabling the movement of tape T through the opening 38 in shear plate 39.

During the final 180J rotation of the rotary print-head 14, the printing die becomes effective to cause a postmark to be imprinted upon the tape T while moving the tape through the opening 38 in shear plate 39 and between tape guide plates 63 of the tape defiector 64. Upon return of the rotary print-head 14 to its full-cycle position and the cam 62 to the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, spring 60 becomes effective immediately to rock bellcrank 51 downwardly thereby actuating knife blade 40 to sever the tape strip S.

It will be noted that following the severance of the tape strip S from the tape supply, the leading end of the tape T is retained in contact with t-he top surface of the knife blade 40 by virtue of the engagement of the V-shaped nose 65 of the lever 66 with the top Surface of the tape T as it passes between the tape guides 32, as described in the aforementioned copending application Ser. No. 556,705.

The positioning -of the tape deflector 64 for a moistened or nonmoistened tape strip S is under the control of the selector knob 68. Upon rotation of the selector knob 68 in a clockwise direction from that shown in FIGS. l and 4, the tape deflector 64 is rocked counter-clockwise from the moistening position shown in FIG. 3 to a nonmoistening position wherein the tape strip S is out of engagement with the moistening surface of a wick 70.

With the selector knob 68 in the counter-clockwise position shown in FIGS. l and 4, the tape strip S (FIG. 3) is dispensed in a moistened condition. During the printing phase of each cycle of meter operation, the tape is moved through the guides 63 of the tape deiiector 64 over the moistening surface of the wick 70. Following the severance of the tape, only a portion of the tape strip S is moistened and extends beyond the tape deiiector 64 suiciently to be grasped by the fingers for removal of the entire stri-p from the deector and the completion of the moistening operation.

The liquid tank, or reservoir, 71 is removably supported within the bracket 72 (FIG. 3) secured at its its ends to respective frame members 21 and 22. Parallel channels 73 and 74 (FIGS. 3, 5 and 6), formed in the top iof the tank 71, are engaged by respective inwardly formed fianges 75 and 76 of the bracket 72 to enable sliding movement of the tank into or out of position relative to the tape control unit 20. A suitable reiitting aperture 77 is provided in 4 the top of the tank 71 and is fitted with a removable stopper 78.

The tank 71 is preferably formed of a thermoplastic material and has an upwardly extended portion forming a chamber 82 defined by walls S3 and 84 and end Walls 85 and 86. The upper portion of the wall 84, which defines the chamber 82, is provided along its upper edge with an internal substantially V-shaped lip 87 (FIG. 5). The upper end portion 88 of the opposing wall 83, defining chamber 82, is angularly formed parallel to and spaced from the upper surface 89 of the lip 87, providing a throat 90 through which the moistening end surface of the wick 70 projects.

The wick 70, preferably a cellulosic sponge, is disposed within the chamber 82, having its upvper end portion projecting outwardly of the throat 90, the lower portion of the wick or sponge 70 being disposed within that area of the tank which is filled with liquid with approximately one-third the sponge length folded upwardly toward the wall 84 of the tank, thereby providing a double thickness for approximately two-thirds lof the sponge length for the absorption of the liquid in the tank.

It will be noted that the upper or single thickness portion of the sponge 70 is angularly formed to provide a cavity between the inner surface 91 of the sponge and the lower surface 92 of the lip 87. The outer surface of the upwardly extended folded portion 93 of the wick 70 is in contact with a series of vertically disposed equally spaced ribs 102 forming the inner surface of the wall 84 (FIG. 8).

Normally, moisture is attracted to the exposed end surface of the wick 70 by capillary action. However, when a plurality of moistened tape strips is desired, during successive operations of the postage meter, the recovery action of the wick is too slow, that is, moisture along the exposed end surface of the wick is quickly depleted. By compressing the double thickness of the wick against the ribs 102, i.e., that portion of the wick within the liquid, the liquid is forced up the valleys between the ribs 102 into the cavity formed by the angular inner surface 91 of the wick 70 and the lower surface 92 of the V-shaped ilp 87. This liquid supply is immediately absorbed by the upper portion of the wick 70 and immediately moves by capillary attraction to the exposed moistening surface of the wick.

For this purpose, a pump paddle 103 depends from and is secured on a shaft 104 journalled at its one end in a suitable bearing in the end wall 85 of the tank 71 and journalled adjacent its other end in a suitabde bearing 105 integrally formed on the end wall 86 of the tank 71. The paddle 103 has a planar surface of a size substantially that of the double thickness portion of the wick 70 and normally serves to maintain the folded portion 93 of the wick 70 in contact with the ribs 102 on the inner surface of wall 84 of the tank 71. A stop 106 is secured on the outer planar surface of the paddle 103 and, by abutment with the inner surface of the defining wall 83 of the chamber 82, serves to maintain the inner planar surface of the paddle in contiguity with the wick 70. At its outer extended end shaft 104 carries an arm 107 secured thereon. Upon rocking arm 107 clockwise (FIG. 6), t-he arm 103 compresses the double thickness area of wick 70, which becomes eective to a lesser degree to force liquid upwardly in the wick 70, but more importantly to force the liquid iup the valley between ribs 102, thereby supplying sufficient liquid to the moistening surface of the wick 70 with each operation of the postage meter.

In order to effect a rocking motion of the paddle 103 in cyclic timed relation to the operation of the postage meter, the lever arm 48 (FIGS. 3 and 4) is provided with a laterally extended ear 108 which is so positioned as to cooperate with the round free end portion 109 of the arm 107. The angular degree of rocking motion of the paddle 103 is determined by the lost motion engagement of the ear 108 of lever arm 48 with the round end portion 109 of the arm 107, which occurs immediately prior to 180 rotation of the cam 62 during each cycle of operation of the postage meter. The paddle 103 is thereafter maintained in its rocked condition to maintain a substanial supply of liquid in the cavity between the inner angular surface 91 of the wick 70 and the surface 92 of the lip 87 to provide suicient moisture during the printing phase of each meter operation when the tape is 'moved across the exposed moistening surface of the wick 70. Upon completion of the cycle of meter operation, the severed tape strip S is frictionally retained in the position shown in FIG. 3, whereupon the operator has but to grasp the tape strip S and pull it free of the deector 64 thereby moistening the remaining non-moistened portion of the strip. i

In the second embodiment of the invention, the wick 70a (FIG. 8A) is corrugated or ribbed on one surface, with the ribs 110 extending lengthwise of the wick. The lower one-third, approximately, of the length of the wick is folded upwardly, providing a double thickness of wick submerged in theiliquid in the tank 71 similar to that shown in FIG. 5 and in a manner such that the corrugations, or ribs, 110 of the folded portion 93a are in contact with the inner surface of the wall 84 of the tank 71. Upon rocking motion of the paddle 103 during a cycle of meter operation, the double thickness section of the wick 70a is compressed against the wall 84, forcing the liquid to flow upwardly in the valleys between the ribs 110 and into the cavity, similar to that formed between theinner surface 91 of the wick 70 and the lower surface 92 of the V-shaped lip 87, as seen rin FIG. 5. Thus, the moisture normally supplied by capillary attraction to the exposed moistening surface of the wick 70a is supplemented by that forced upwardly in the valleys of the corrugated surface of the wick upon operation of the pump paddle 103. In this manner, suicient moisture along the moistening surface of the wick is assured With each cycle of operation of the postage meter 10.

What is claimed is:

1. In a moistening device for gummed tape,

a liquid container,

a moistening wick positioned adjacent one wall of said container, one end portion of said wick providing a moistening surface disposed in the path of movement of the tape and the opposite end portion being immersed in the liquid, whereby the liquid flows by capillary attraction to the moistening surface,

means cyclically operable to move the tape relative to the moistening surface of said wick,

means controlling cyclic operation of said moving means,

a pressure means rockable to compress the immersed portion of said wick against the said one wall of said container to cause liquid to ow and supplement the capillary flow to the moistening surface, and

means operated by said controlling means to actuate said pressure means in time relation to the operation of said moving means.

2. In =a device of the character described in claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the said one wall of said container is provided with a series of equally spaced ribs extending upwardly of the wall whereby liquid is caused to ow in the valley between adjacent ribs toward the moistening surface of said wick upon operation of said pressure means.

3. In a device of the character described in claim 1, wherein said wick is a cellulosic sponge having a ribbed surface disposed adjacent to the said one wall of said container, the ribs extending upwardly toward the eX- posed moistening surface of the wick whereby liquid is caused to ilow upwardly between the ribs supplementing the capillary flow upon operation of said pressure means.

4. In a device of the character described in claim 1, wherein said pressure means comprises a shaft rockable by said actuating means, and

a paddle member carried by said shaft operable upon rocking of said shaft to compress the immersed portion of said wick during operation of said moving means.

5. In a device of the character described in claim 4, wherein said wick is a cellulosic sponge and the immersed portion is of duoble thickness.

6. In a device of the character described in claim 1, wherein said moving means comprises a rotary print member for printing an impression on the tape While electing movement of the tape.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,250,790 12/1917 Brownson 118-42 2,175,959 10/1939 Goldstein 118-42 XR 2,209,266 7/ 1940 Goldstein 118-209 2,245,472 6/ 1941 Goldstein 118-42 XR 2,337,808 12/1943 Ford 118-268 2,338,195 1/1944 Mills et al. 118-268 XR 2,398,888 4/1946 Ford 118-268 2,506,262 5/1950 Aruidson et al 118-42 2,642,936 6/1953 Semler 83-233 2,975,464 3/1961 Schultz 222-187 XR 3,134,544 5/1964 Copley 222-187 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 282,703 3/1928 Great Britain.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT I. SMITH, Assistant Examiner. 

